Compact floribunda rose plant named ‘POULac001’

ABSTRACT

A new compact floribunda rose which has abundant, light pink flowers and attractive foliage. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Rosa hybrida ‘POULac001’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety offloribunda rose plant which originated from a controlled crossingbetween ‘POULfiry’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No.12,484, dated Mar. 26, 2002 and ‘POULsint’ an unpatented variety. Thetwo parents were crossed during the summer of 1996 and the resultingseeds were planted in a controlled environment in Fredensborg, Denmark.The new variety is named ‘POULac001’.

The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, ‘POULfiry’, bythe following combination of characteristics:

1. ‘POULac001’ has pink flowers, while ‘POULfiry’ has bright orangeflowers.

2. ‘POULac001’, as a compact floribunda is taller in habit when comparedto the miniature rose ‘POULfiry’.

3. ‘POULfiry’ exhibits more anthocyanin in the foliage when compared to‘POULac001’.

The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, ‘POULsint’by the following combination of characteristics:

1. ‘POULac001’ exhibits light pink flowers, whereas the pollen parentexhibits orange-red flowers.

2. ‘POULac001’ has a larger flower diameter than that of ‘POULsint’.

3. ‘POULac001’ has glossy foliage, whereas ‘POULsint’ displays mattefoliage.

The objective of the hybridization of this rose variety was to create anew and distinct variety for garden use with unique qualities, such as:

1. Uniform and abundant pink flowers;

2. Vigorous, but compact growth when propagated both as a budded roseand on its own roots;

3. Disease resistance.

4. Suitability for production in pots.

This combination of qualities is not present in previously availablecommercial cultivars of this type and distinguish ‘POULac001’ from allother varieties of which we are aware.

As part of their rose development program, L. Pernille Olesen and MogensN. Olesen germinated the seeds from the aforementioned hybridizationduring winter 1996 and conducted evaluations on the resulting seedlingsin a controlled environment in Fredensborg, Denmark.

‘POULac001’ was selected in the spring 1997 by the inventors as a singleplant from the progeny of the aforementioned hybridization. Asexualreproduction of ‘POULac001’ by traditional budding and rooted cuttingswas first done by L. Pernille and Mogens N. Olesen in their nursery inFredensborg, Denmark in July 1997. This initial and other subsequentasexual propagations conducted in controlled environments havedemonstrated that the characteristics of ‘POULac001’ are true to typeand are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type the variety rose‘POULac001’.

Specifically illustrated in SHEET 1 include:

1. Rose plant exhibiting foliage, leaves, and leaflets.

2. Flower bud, partially opened bud, and open bloom;

3. General plant growth and habit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a description of ‘POULac001’ as observed in its growthin a nursery in Jackson County, Oreg., on plants aged eighteen weeks.Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London,England) Colour Chart, 1995, except where common terms of color areused.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the rose variety‘POULskov’, a rose variety from the same inventors described andillustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,062 and issued on Feb. 28, 1995 arecompared to ‘POULac001’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘POULac001’ ‘POULskov’ Color of open Red Group 55B Red Groupflower, outer side, 56B-56D middle zone. Petalage Double, 25+ Verydouble 50-60 petals Flower size 8-10 cm 6-8 cm

Classification:

Commercial.—Compact floribunda.

Parents:

Seed parent.—‘POULfiry’.

Pollen parent.—‘POULsint’.

FLOWER AND FLOWER BUD

Blooming habit: Continuous.

Flower bud:

Size.—32 to 34 mm in length from base of receptacle to end of bud.

Bud form.—Ovate.

Bud color.—As sepals unfold, Red Group 54B. Red Group 54B and C at ¼opening.

Sepals.—Length: 25 mm. Width: 8 mm. Coloration of upper surface isYellow-Green Group 146B at margins and Yellow-Green Group 146C in middleand basal zones. Lower surface is Yellow-Green Group 146C. Anthocyaninoccasionally present on upper surface sepals, Greyed-Red Group 182A.Shape: Sepal apex is cirrose; base is flat at union with peduncle.

Receptacle.—Surface: Smooth. Shape: Funnel shaped. Size: 6 mm wide and 6mm high. Color: Green Group 143C.

Peduncle.—Surface: Moderate quantity of stipitate glands present.Length: 25 to 30 mm. Color: Yellow-Green Group 146C. Strength: Strong.Anthocyanin: Greyed-Red Group 181B.

Borne.—1 to 5 flowering shoots per stem.

Flower bloom:

Fragrance.—Weak.

Size.—Medium. Average flower diameter is between 8-10 cm when open.

Duration.—Blooms last from 6 to 8 days; petals fall cleanly.

Form.—Shape of flower when viewed from the side: Upon opening, upperpart: Concave. Upon opening, lower part: Flattened convex. Open flower,upper part: Concave. Open flower, lower part: Flattened convex.Petalage: Double. Average range: 25 petals under normal conditions, with3 to 5 petaloids.

Color:

Upon opening, petals.—Outermost petals: Upper surface: Red Group 54B.Lower surface: Red Group 54C with intonations of Red Group 54B.Innermost petals: Upper surface: Red Group 52D. Lower surface: Red Group49A.

Upon opening, basal petal spots.—Upper surface: Yellow Group 8B. Lowersurface: Yellow Group 8C.

After opening, petals.—Outermost petals: Upper surface: Red Group 54C,with intonations of Red Group 54B. Lower surface: Red Group 55D.Innermost petals: Upper surface: Red Group 54B. Lower surface: Red Group54C.

After opening, basal petal spots.—Upper surface: Yellow Group 8B. Lowersurface: Yellow Group 8B.

General Tonality: On open flower, Red Group 55C. No change in thegeneral tonality at the end of the 7^(th) day. Afterwards, generaltonality is Red Group 55D.

Petals:

Petal reflex.—Strong.

Petal edge.—Ruffled.

Shape.—Obovate.

Petaloids.—3 to 5. Petaloids are 20 to 25 mm long and 10 to 15 mm wide.Petaloid coloration is Red Group 55C on upper surface and Red Group 55 Aand B on lower surface.

Thickness.—Moderately thick.

Size.—20 mm (l)×15 mm (w).

Reproductive organs:

Pistils.—Length: 8 mm. Quantity: Approximately 40.

Pollen.—None observed.

Anthers.—Length: 2 mm. Color: Margins are Greyed-Orange Group 163A.Interior is Greyed-Orange Group 163C. Quantity: 100.

Filaments.—Color: Yellow Group 12A. Length: 5 to 6 mm.

Stigmas.—Slightly superior in position relative to anthers. Color isYellow-Green Group 150D.

Styles.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 150D, with intonations ofGreyed-Purple Group 184C.

Hips.—None observed.

PLANT

Plant growth: Dense, compact, and even growth. When grown as 15-cm potplant the average height of the plant is 40 cm and the average width is60 cm.

Stems:

Color.—Young wood: Yellow-Green Group 146C. Older wood: Yellow-GreenGroup 146C.

Texture.—Young wood: Smooth. Older wood: Smooth.

Thorns.—Incidence: 12 thorns per 10 cm of stem. Size: Average length is5 mm. Color: Greyed-Orange Group 174 A and B. Shape: Concave.

Plant foliage:

Typical number of leaflets on leaves in the middle of stem.—5.

Leaf size.—95 mm long and 60 to 65 mm wide.

Quantity.—Average.

Glossy.—Upper side weak glossiness.

Color mature foliage.—Upper Leaf Surface: Yellow-Green Group 146A. LowerLeaf Surface: Yellow-Green Group 146C.

Color, juvenile foliage.—Upper Leaf Surface: Yellow-Green Group 146A.Lower Leaf Surface: Yellow-Green Group 146C. Anthocyanin intonation:Greyed-Purple Group 184A. Present on new growth, on stems, upper andlower leaflet margins, rachii, and stipules.

Plant leaflets:

Stipules.—Size: 15 to 16 mm long. Color: Margins are Yellow-Green Group146A; interior is Yellow-Green Group 146D. Stipitate Glands: Present onstipule margins. Anthocyanin: Greyed-Purple Group 184A.

Petiole.—Length: 4 to 8 mm. Color: Yellow-Green Group 146C. Underside:Occasional small thorn present. Anthocyanin: Greyed-Purple Group 184A.

Rachis.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 146C. Underside: Occasional smallthorn present. Margins: With stipitate glands. Anthocyanin:Greyed-Purple Group 184A.

Leaflet.—Edge: Serrated. Shape: Broadly ovate. Apex Shape: Cirrose.Glossiness: Moderate. Texture: Thick. Arrangement: Odd pinnate.Venation: Reticulate.

Disease resistance: Above average resistance to mildew, rust, blackspot, and Botrytis under normal growing conditions in Fredensborg,Denmark and Hannover, Germany.

Cold hardiness: The variety ‘POULac001’ has been found to be cold hardyin Fredensborg, Denmark and Hannover, Germany.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant of the compactfloribunda rose class, substantially as herein illustrated and describedas a distinct and novel rose variety due to its abundant light pinkflowers, disease resistance, and extended period of bloom.